The invention is generally directed to fiberglass insulation, and more particularly to colorable fiberglass insulation, and more particularly to colorable, PAG-bindered fiberglass insulation.
Fiberglass insulation in the form of a batt, a board or molding media, includes glass fibers and a binder. Typically, the binder is phenolic. Though relatively inexpensive and though it cures to form a rigid thermoset polymeric matrix, phenolic binder has some problems. It is not low in odor. And, it causes the batt, board or molding media to appear to be yellow.
Phenolic binder binds the glass fibers by agglomeration, i.e., by sticking to glass fibers only where any two glass fibers come into contact with each other. This is very different than coating each fiber in its entirety such that the coating on one fiber adheres to the coating on another fiber. Coloring agents do not adhere well to phenolic binder. And to the extent that a coloring agent adheres, it is present on only a small portion of the glass fiber, thus diluting the effect of the coloring agent.
In some circumstances, the fiberglass insulation is exposed, i.e., not concealed behind wallboard inside a stud wall cavity or installed behind a translucent fabric covering (with an open weave). Such a circumstance can be a system in which the board or molding media forms of the fiberglass insulation is attached to a wall to help tune the sound of a room. In such an exposed insulation situation, the default yellow color of phenolic-bindered insulation can clash with the decoration in the room and/or appear to distort the color of the overlying fabric. And phenolic-bindered insulation hides dirt poorly.
In the exposed circumstance, typical phenolic-bindered fiberglass insulation can be made to appear to have a non-yellow color in one of three ways. First, a colorable facing (of paper and/or foil) can be applied to the insulation. Second, the surface can be coated with a paint sufficiently thick that it acoustically xe2x80x9cblindsxe2x80x9d the insulation. In other words, the paint is viscous enough and is applied heavily enough that, in effect, a facing of paint is formed that closes all the interstices of the insulation. But this damages the acoustic properties of the insulation because it changes the permeability of the insulation to air. Lastly, third, an inorganic pigment can be applied to the agglomerations, which produces a diffused color in combination with the clear glass fibers that are only covered at the points of agglomeration.
Easily colorable insulation is available in the form of cellulose. Cellulose is a wood fiber insulation. The wood fibers can be colored. But cellulose has the disadvantages that it is flammable and it tends to mold.
A colorable form of fiberglass insulation is known. It uses polyacrylic glycol (PAG) as a binder. Such insulation appears white in color. It is low in odor, which makes it desirable for high temperature applications, such as in an oven. A disadvantage of PAG-binder is that it is about twice as expensive as phenolic binder.
The invention, in part, is a recognition that PAG-binder coats each glass fiber substantially in its entirety, such that the coating on one fiber adheres to the coating on another fiber, unlike the agglomeration of the background art.
The invention, also in part, is a recognition that coloring agents adhere readily to PAG-binder.
The invention, also in part, is a recognition that because the PAG binder coats each glass fiber substantially in its entirety, the coloring agent adhered to the PAG binder coats each glass fiber substantially in its entirety. To borrow a concept from the painting art, in effect, the PAG binder acts as a primer to prepare the whole glass fiber to be coated with the desired coloring agent. This produces a strong color in PAG-bindered fiberglass insulation.
The invention, also in part, is a recognition that biocide adheres readily to PAG-binder, with or without a coloring agent being present on the PAG binder.
The invention, in part, provides fiberglass insulation comprising: glass fibers; a polyacrylic glycerol (PAG) binder coating said glass fibers; and at least one of a coloring agent and a biocide adhered to said PAG binder. Such fiberglass insulation can take the form of a batt, board (a heated and compressed batt) or molding media (a different form of heated and compressed batt). The invention, also in part, provides a method of making such an insulation product.
Advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.